The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-05-07
THE FARM GARDEN.

THE FARM GARDEN.
why Every Agriculturist should Raise His
Own Vegetables and Fruits.
In few respects are farmers as a class
SO untrue to their best interests and so
negligent of duty to their families as irf
the failure to provide for their own
tables from their own grounds regular
and full supply of the severalvegetables
and fruits adapted to their soil and
climate. Could they realize how trivial
and unworthy their excuses for not
doing SO are. there would be speedy
and general reform. A neat, well-kept
garden on farm may not directly
swell the bank account, nor contribute
Immediately to the lifting OF mort
gage; but it does better than either OF
these-it fosters, as nothing else at their
command can, higher and better life,
nobler aspirations, and, what is more
needed than all these among farmers
aud their families higher appecia-
ton and love of their occupation and
contentment with it. 1t swells the
credit side of that great account beside
which bank accounts dwindle to in
significance.
The great obstacle to the more gen
eral cultivation Of family gardens among
farmers is the almost universal idea that
it can be done only by hand-work, and
good deal of it. Of course, in the cul-
tivation of fine vegetables some hand
work is necessary, but in we'll
arranged garden it is comparatively
uncomfortable, and SO light that it
ought to be called fingerwork, and the
obnoxious idea of hand-work entirely
banished from the mind. Thenecessity
for an outfit Of special garden imple-
ments and other requisites is another
bucaboo. These are most of them use
full in their places and convenient, but
not indispensable. Most garden work
can be very well done with the farm
implements which good farmers already
use in the cultivation of crops. An in
telligent, expert farmer can weed more
onions and other garden vegetables by
the aid of common manure fork than
four common hands with the best special
implements.
The FIRST step toward economical
gardening in connection with the all
absorbing duties of farming is to wipe
out every thing which suggests that il
is little business or of little Importance
A liberal plot of ground, unobstructet
by fences or trees but surrounded by I
grass border, broad enough at least fol
driving and turning a team. is neces
sary. This should be laid out so as t.
plant every thing. Whatever its habit o
growth, in rows far enough apart, q
the case may be to admit of easy cult
walton, no matter if it does requir
more land than the specialist employ
in raising the same crops. 1t is goo'
plan to distribute the rows for perma
nent crops, such as asparagus and tn
several varieties of fruit-bushes, so a
to admit of planting few rows of tn
annual vegetables between them, =
secure their regular cultivation an
pruning in connection with the othe
tillage Of the intervening spaces.
| This arrangement also affords or
portunity for hauling manure to an
part of the garden in winter--the proF
er season for that work. For winte
manuring is not only more convenien
and economical of labor, but is ever
way more efficacious. OF all th
agencies for the distribution OF the fel
tilizing elements of manure frost an
water are the most effective, improvin
at once the texture and composition {
the soil and preparing it as no other al
plication or treatment does to give th
.. crop an early and vigorous start Thel
is less loss Of manure and less danger
injury from heavy manuring at this se'
, son than any other. But this system
open-feld gardening is objected to
most farmers. An unprotected garde'
say they, is worse than none. Il
farmer has no unprotected field
which he can locate garden he can 4
moderate expenditure provide NOV
bic fences with which to protect it Q
anunoccupied field II s. Bliss, - NJ
Tribune.